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Iscorama anamorphic lenses
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:14 pm    Post subject: Iscorama anamorphic lenses Reply with quote
Does anyone have experience of anamorphic (widescreen) lenses, specifically those made by Iscorama? They seem mainly to be used for cine photography but some have SLR mounts.

The effective focal length is different in the horizontal and vertical dimensions, so they take a picture which is 1.5 times wider than it is high. On digital, of course, rescaling to get back a normal aspect ratio (and thus a widescreen image, 4.5:2 rather than 3:2) is trivial.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have that plastic thing in Nikon mount. Never thought it would be that great, just wanted to see if that would be a fast way to do panos. The circle of confusion will of course also be oblong (elliptic), thus the resolution in one direction will be less then the other.

That lens is actually two pieces, a 50mm lens (rear part) and a anamorphic front lens system (cylinder lenses)



Here is some info, also about anamorp. attachments:
http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Anamorphic_Lenses#1.5x_Anamorphic_lenses


PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the info!

And what is the quality like, optically?


PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Can't really say Chris, as mentioned, I have just played around with it some year or two ago. If I find the time this week, I could do some quick shots and post them here...

It'll be weekend most likely, since I just got another task in, sorry...


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Test shots using this lens in two orientations, wide and narrow mode (so to speak). It has a 1.5x compression ratio in one, user selectable, axis.

This is narrow (original file from the cam):


and this is wide (lens front rotated 90 degrees):


now the narrow one horizontally compressed by 1.5x:


and the wide one vertically compressed by 1.5x:


clearly showing the variation of the angle of field covered, which due to the compression, is not the same in both directions (vert./horiz.).

And here some 100% crops to judge on quality,

first the narrow version:


and the wide version:


which both, of course, show about the same content, yet maybe in different quality due to the different compressions (elliptic circles of confusion).
I leave the judgement to the viewer....


PostPosted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
hmm, wierd lens Smile

thanks for the samples and the comments Klaus

Last edited by Fotal on Wed May 14, 2008 10:39 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Its not bad at all - as far as I can see anyway.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi I have a kowa anamorph that came mounted to the filter end of a jupiter 9! not really tested it yet


PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Klaus, many thanks for taking the time to do these tests. Gives me a much better idea of how the lens would be used. The quality is not bad at all. Interesting that it can be used to get a square format as well; its the wide panorama that is most interesting though.

The model I saw on ebay looked to be slightly different to yours (seems to be metal body, and markings on the front are different).

Click here to see on Ebay

It shot up to 149 GBP at the end of auction so I would not have got it anyway, had I bid on it. Coincidentally, that purveyor of astounding bargains Rolling Eyes Photo-Arsenal is now selling one for ... US $1594 while mis-describing it as a 'prototype' and guessing its focal length as 135mm. I gather its actually around 50mm in the 'normal' (non-stretched) direction?

Click here to see on Ebay

Interesting lens anyway.


PostPosted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Most welcome Chris! I had that lens bought quite a few years ago and never really made use of it, so mine is a different, older type actually as compared to the one you showed in that link. The body/barrel is all plastic unfortunately, but still it makes a sturdy impression.

I was always only interested in the panoramic view and bought it when I experimented with PanoTools years ago. Using a normal or wide angle lens and stitch is so easy now, so these lenses are obsolete.

That company in Nuremberg is know to be overpriced and he has some many "prototypes" that makes me wonder. That is a f2.8 50mm lens, but not written on the lens unfortunately.


PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 7:20 am    Post subject: iscorama 54 Reply with quote
I do used iscorama 54 , on Nikon body Analog (with 50mm)and digital (with 35mm).

It has 77 filter thread and 54 rear lens element, so that you can use it for nearly all lens.

you can see the photo and some picture taken in this links:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/indonesiafoto/1508977548/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indonesiafoto/1508649898/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/indonesiafoto/1508647208/in/set-72157603514452154/


PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 8:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have that attachment too, but it is not that useful since it weights about 1000grams, quite a monstruous piece. It works, but more for slide projection.

The lens we talk about is also called Iscorama-36 if I remember correctly and it has a built in 2.8/50mm lens.


PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I suggest taking vertical portraits with that lense, if the subject is a female. Horizontal if a man.


PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Opposite is much better, most women are slim.... Wink


PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
A shot using that Iscorama 54, not as sharp as the ones above....



PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2008 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I used to have one, 50mm f:2.8 in M42 mount :



But the apterture rign was so tight that I've asked a refund to the seller.

On EOS 5D, there were some clearly visible vigneting each wide side.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, since it fits here, the balloon shots I recently made
using the ISCORAMA lens on Nikon - too bad I don't have a
D90, I could have shot some videos.

All handheld, ISO1250, shot fully open:









PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Last one is very impressive Klaus. What a strange lens


patrickh


PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, anyone here who would/could lend me his D90 / 5D MkII for a few anamorphic test videos?


PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ditto, very impressive balloons.

I wonder what focal-length equivalent that would be.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The lens itself is 50mm focal length, but since the front anamorphic built in adaptor stretches the image horizontally, the angle of view is 1.5x larger than with a normal 50mm lens.



PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Well, anyone here who would/could lend me his D90 / 5D MkII for a few anamorphic test videos?


Anyone have a Iscorama lens they can loan me to make videos with my 5D mk2? Laughing


PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Well, anyone here who would/could lend me his D90 / 5D MkII for a few anamorphic test videos?


The trouble is that still pictures can be taken either 8-bit lossy (JPG) or 12-bit lossless (NEF raw) but video on D90 (and indeed on all video-capable DSLR and on video cameras) is available lossy only (motion JPEG, H.264, etc).

The only devices, that I am aware of, which would allow this lens to be mounted and would give you a high quality raw datastream for each frame would be the RED cameras. But they are rather pricey, for casual use.

I could imagine that the results of such an inquiry, if successful, would push up the prices of the Iscorama anamorphic lenses on the second hand market, though Wink


PostPosted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The damage has already been done Chris, sadly enough.

And yes, I know the RED and had the pleasure to work with
it - not mine though. Shooting 4k is REALLY impressive!

There are rumours that ISCO will come out with a successor
of the ISCORAMA soon, so I hope this will keep the prices
low ... I need another one for my stereo project Wink Wink


PostPosted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Anyone seen optical design of Iscorama?
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